Unsafe: Tortured and Precious
by Kate Shephard
Summary: We thought our nightmares were over...gone and done with. But not even rescue can make them go away. We have no idea about the terrors we're about to face. Sequel to: Them Caught and Abandoned.
1. Mut

-sigh- I only wish I owned LOST.

I was going to start my sequel after I finished Turbulence, but I changed my mind. I'm going to do this and then go back and finish Turbulence. I really like Unsafe...the first chapter is much more lighthearted than the rest of them will be...so if you don't like drama, this isn't the fanfic for you. I really enjoy writing this though.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Mut**

"**The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage."**

They stood just staring out over the ocean for what seemed like forever. A mixture of joy and yet great fear overwhelmed them all to silence. Grey clouds began to fill they sky and the wind began to pick up. Only then did they move, dragging themselves slowly to Sawyer's tent. It really was 'Live Together, Die Alone' now; even Sawyer realized it.

Jack sat down on one end of the airline seats, pulling Kate down onto his lap. He cradled her in his arms, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Are you okay, Kate?" he asked, extremely worried about her.

Kate stayed silent for a moment. "Do you think they'll come back for us?" she asked quietly.

"If they do, we'll be ready for 'em." Sawyer replied, digging out his guns.

Kate leaned her head against Jack's shoulder, watching Sawyer. She wrapped her arms around Jack, staying close to him.

Jack put his hand on the side of her face, stroking her warm cheek with his thumb. "You should get some rest."

Kate watched as Jessie and Jayla moved off the other side of the airline seats to give her room to lie down. She went to protest and say she didn't need to lie down, but Jack pressed his lips gently to hers before she could do so. With a sigh, she pulled away from the kiss, looking down in defeat.

Jack lied down, pulling her down in front of him. "Go to sleep, Kate." he murmured in her ear, wrapping his arm around her waist.

Jayla walked over to the guns, peering down at them. "Do I get one?" she asked, curiously.

Sawyer raised his eyebrows. "Why would I be stupid enough to give a ten year old a gun?"

Jayla put her hands on her hips. "Why would you be stupid enough not to give me a gun?" she replied. "I could shoot better than you could."

Sawyer frowned at her. "Ya think so?"

Jayla gave a confident nod. "I do."

Sawyer thought for a moment. "Fine." he said finally. "If you can prove that you got a better shot then me, then you can have a gun."

Jayla seemed to consider that for a moment. "How am I going to prove that?" she asked.

Sawyer picked up a gun and headed over to the tent opening. He glanced around then pointed at a few sand crabs that were running across the beach. "Whoever comes closer to hittin' one of those determines whether you get a gun or not."

Jayla looked at the crabs for a moment then nodded. "Alright. You go first."

Sawyer took the gun off safety and pointed it at one of the crabs. "Ready?"

Jack looked at them and frowned. "Can't this wait?" he asked. He glanced down at Kate. "Don't wake her up."

Sawyer glanced over at Kate and frowned slightly. "You can't cover her ears?"

Jack sighed and looked down at Kate. He shifted her slightly and gently placed his hands over her ears.

Sawyer turned back to the crabs. "Watch carefully." he said.. He shot at one but it ran and he missed by an inch.

Kate jumped at the sound of the shot. She sat up quickly, looking around.

Jack frowned and also sat up, hugging her against him. "It's okay. Sawyer's just wasting our bullets."

Kate coughed for a moment before calming down. She leaned against him, frowning slightly.

Sawyer smiled and handed the gun to Jayla. "Your turn." he said.

"Can I use two shots?" Jayla asked, pointing the gun about an inch away from the crab.

Sawyer smirked. "Use as many shots as ya need, Shortcake." he said. He didn't believe she could do it. Hell, she wasn't even pointing straight at one of the crabs!

Jayla smiled. She quickly shot both bullets, one on either side of the crab. The crab tried to run, but it had nowhere so a bullet hit it.

Sawyer's jaw dropped.


	2. Furcht

This is a really short chapter, and I'm sorry. It also took me so long to update because I really wanted reviews, and was a bit upset that I only got two of them. Please review people.

I also have another thing I want to say. I don't own LOST, but there are a few things I do own. I Own Them. I own Jayla and Jessie. And I do own any ideas that come from my head that don't have to do with LOST or anything else owned by someone else.

I can be kind of a selfish person when it comes to things I thought up, I hate to say. It's just who I am. So this is to the person(s) using the title:title idea or titles in a different language. I don't know if you got the idea from me or not, but if you did, I'm a bit angry that you didn't bother to say where you got it. Especially since someone using the chapter title thing is using the same language that I used in another fanfic.

And to the person who asked who Jayla and Jessie were: They were introduced in Them. I think Jessie was introduced in the beginning and Jayla was introduced in the end. They're going to become more main characters once I spend some more time with focusing on Sawyer, which I plan on doing in several more chapters. I'm not very fond of pairing canons with madeups, but it was either that or kill Sawyer. And I really didn't want to kill Sawyer.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Furcht**

"**Fear is an emotion indispensable for survival."**

Kate stared silently into the fire, leaving everyone else to try and peer through the darkness in search of any signs of danger. She really hadn't spoken much since earlier when they had all come back. She spent her time resting in Jack's lap, though occasionally moving, not wanting to seem too clingy.

Jack rubbed her shoulders, staring at the jungle, though trying not to seem nervous. If he was nervous, then he was sure that that would make her even more nervous than she already was. After a moment, he carefully moved her then got up. "I'll be right back, Kate." he told her. He limped towards the jungle, quickly being followed by Sawyer, all a part of their little buddy system they had now.

Kate tensed up, watching him leave. She looked at the bandaged gunshot wound on his leg and flinched slightly. After a moment, she got up and followed them.

Glancing around, she tried to figure out which was the two of them had gone. Hearing a small noise, she whipped around. "Jack?" she whimpered quietly, taking a small step back.

One of Them stepped out from behind a bush, smirking. He grabbed her and put his hand over her mouth before she could scream. "Aw. Don't cry, Kate." He grinned as he felt her tears flooding down her cheeks and onto his hand. "I have an offer to make you. You wanna hear it?"

Kate squeezed her eyes shut, her entire body shaking in dear. Having a feeling she didn't have a choice, she gave a small nod.

"Good choice." The man said. He looked down at her. "We can get you rescued. A boat with medical supplies, food, everything you need and it'll take you home." He paused. "But you gotta do something for us first."

Kate opened her eyes. Still crying, she managed to glance up at him.

The man smiled. "You can save your boyfriend from getting an infection in his leg and dying." He let go of her and reached in a bag he was carrying, pulling out a need. "And all you gotta do is try this out."

"W-W-What is it?" Kate stammered, taking a few steps back, only to have the man grab her arm and yank her closer again.

"I'm not going to tell you." The man said. "But it won't kill you. It's your choice."

Kate squeezed her eyes shut, trying to decide. Stay here and suffer or get rescued and have who knows what happen. After a long moment, she held her arm out for the needle.


	3. Gute oder schlechte Wahl

Here's yet another short chapter. . Chapter six is where they start to get long...though chapter six is also part of the reason this fic is rated M but...

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Gute oder schlechte Wahl **

"**You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along." . . . You must do the thing you think you cannot do."**

"Good choice." The man said, approvingly. He rolled up her shirt sleeve then stuck the needle in her arm. He injected whatever was inside of it into her, then put the needle away and pulled out a walkie-talkie. He pushed a button then put it away. "Better get back." he told Kate.

Kate quickly turned and ran back to the beach, making it back to the fire right before Jack and Sawyer walked out of the jungle.

Jack walked back over to her and sat down behind her again. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her back against him.

Kate continued to stare into the fire, not wanting him to see her tears. She began feeling a little out of it, light whispers filling the air around her.

Jack cuddled her, causing her to make a noise as she tried to hold in a sob. "Kate?" he asked, getting concerned when she didn't answer him. He shot a quick glance at Sawyer, signaling to him that something was wrong. "Honey, what's the matter?" he asked, looking back down at Kate as he felt her start shaking in his arms.

"I feel yucky." Kate whimpered. "My belly hurts."

The sound of her voice startled Sawyer and he looked at Jack to see if he noticed it too. Her voice didn't sound like her own. It reminded him of what a five year old Kate might sound like. And it wasn't just the sound, it was what she had said too. Yucky? Belly? That wasn't Kate.

Jack looked back over at Sawyer, a look of worry spreading across his face. He stood up.

"No! Don't leave!" Kate cried out. She quickly wrapped her arms around his legs, causing him to nearly fall backwards.

"I'm not. I'm not." Jack assured her, trying to keep his balance as he reached down and picked her up.

Kate wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. "Jack, I feel dizzy." she whispered, sounding suddenly like herself again. With a small moan, she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"It's okay, Baby." Jack murmured, pressing her cheek to her burning forehead.

"Boat!" Jessie yelled suddenly, staring out to sea at a nearby ship.

Jack quickly turned around, causing Kate to moan at the sudden movement. "I'm sorry." He murmured, staring out at the boat for a moment before glancing down at her.


	4. Reue

**Chapter 4**

**Reue**

"**Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can't build on it; it's only for wallowing in."**

The ship was even bigger and better than they had expected. It was an empty cruise ship that had apparently 'figured out' they were there.

They grabbed some of their stuff, leaving the rest of it there.

As the ship began to sail away from the island, Kate was now second guessing her choice. The island got smaller and smaller and she fought a hard battle against her tears. As everyone else found rooms and got situated, she just stood there on the deck. Eventually, she couldn't even see the island any more and she lost her battle. Sneaking off to hide behind a few things on the other side of the deck, she began crying, regretting her choice miserably now.

* * *

Jack walked into the hallway after having gotten a room and putting his and Kate's stuff in it. He glanced in the room that Sawyer had chosen. "Have you seen Kate?"

Sawyer looked at him and shook his head. "She stayed on the deck." he said.

Jack frowned. "Can you got get her?" he asked. "I'm going to see if I can find some medicine for her."

Sawyer nodded. "Sure thing, Doc." he said. He watched him leave then headed for the deck. He frowned when he got there and didn't see her. "Freckles?" he called, walking around the deck, looking for her. He looked around for awhile before he heard her quiet crying. "Freckles?" he said, walking over to her. He kneeled down in front of her, looking at her in confusion.

Kate inched her way over to him and hugged him, burying her face in his shoulder. "I don't feel good." she whimpered. "I wanna go home."

Sawyer didn't reply. He picked her up and began heading back to the room that she and Jack were staying in. Once there, he gently lied her down on the bed. "Jack-O's gonna get ya some meds and then he'll be right back." he told her, gently tucking her hair behind her ears. He sighed and glanced over at Jack when he came in then looked back down at Kate. "Night, Freckles. Feel better, okay?" He turned and headed back to his own room.

Jack watched him then walked over to the bed. "Sit up for a moment, Kate." he told her. He waited for her to sit up, then handed her a glass of water and two pills.

Kate took the pills, washing them down with the water. She put the glass on the stand beside the bed then closed her eyes.

"You okay?" Jack asked, rubbing her shoulder.

Kate stayed silent for several moments then shook her head. "I think I'm gonna throw up." she mumbled.

Jack frowned slightly. "You need me to take you to the bathroom?" he asked her gently.

Kate nodded her head, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth.

"Okay. It's okay." Jack picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. He carefully set her down in front of the toilet then kneeled down behind her, rubbing her back.

Kate leaned over it, crying a bit more. "Jack." she groaned weakly, trembling. Her stomach heaved and she gagged a bit, leaning further over.

Jack pulled her hair back away from her face. "It's okay, Baby." he murmured, rubbing her back with his free hand.

Kate squeezed her eyes shut as she gagged again. She wanted to go lay down, not sit here sick. She whimpered Jack's name again. Her stomach heaved once more, but this time she began throwing up over and over.

She was sick for a good majority of the night. Eventually the bathroom floor got uncomfortable so Jack sent Sawyer to get a bucket around one in the morning and moved them both onto the bed.

Towards late morning, they were both dead tired. Kate was nearly asleep on Jack's lap, but Jack was trying to keep himself awake. He wanted to be up incase something happened with Kate.

Sawyer knocked on the door.

Jack glanced up tiredly. "Come in." he said quietly.

Sawyer opened the door and walked in, nearly flinching at the sight of them. "Ya even get any sleep?" he asked.

Jack sighed and shook his head.

Sawyer walked over to them. "Lemme take her for awhile." he said. "Then ya both can get some rest."

Jack shook his head. "She's really sick, Sawyer." he said. "I'm fine watching her."

Sawyer rolled his eyes. "No, ya ain't." he said. He gently scooped Kate up into his arms. "C'mon, Freckles." he told her. "I got out whole day planned out."

Kate leaned her head against his shoulder, shooting Jack an unsure look as Sawyer carried her towards the door.

Jack sighed and watched them leave. "Make her sleep." he told him. "And see if she can try to keep anything in her stomach." He was cut off as the door shut behind them.

* * *

Review please. -puppy eyes-


	5. Geheimnis

**Chapter 5**

**Geheimnis**

"**Of course I can keep secrets. It's the people I tell them to that can't keep them."**

Sawyer looked down at her and smiled. "Ya look like ya could take a nap, Sassafras." he said, heading towards the deck.

Kate gave a small nod. She closed her eyes, keeping her head rested against his shoulder, frowning as she tried to block out light whispers that seemed to surround them.

Sawyer smiled and rubbed her back for a moment. "Good." he said. " Cause that's the first thing on our list of things to do." He walked onto the deck and sat down on swing. Carefully, he lied her down, letting her rest her head on his lap.

Kate lied there for awhile before looking up at Sawyer. "Sawyer?" she asked quietly.

Sawyer snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at her. "Huh?" he asked.

Kate hesitated a moment. "Can you keep a secret?"

Sawyer raised his eyebrows. "For you?" he asked, then smirked. "Freckles, for you I could keep /two/ secrets."

Kate nodded smally. "I…I let them inject me with…something…for our freedom." she mumbled. "And…and I think that's what's making me really sick." She paused. "And I think…I think I'm starting to hear whispers."

Sawyer frowned. "You let them put something /in/ you?!" he whispered. "Just for our freedom? Why would you do that?!"

"I just wanted to help us." Kate whispered. She closed her eyes, suddenly not feeling well again. Standing up, she opened her eyes and weakly stumbled over to the edge of the boat.

Sawyer followed her. He frowned and helped her lean over the railing. "You need to lie down, Freckles."

Kate shook her head and threw up over the edge of the boat, collapsing back into his arms once she was finished.

Sawyer gently picked her up and carried her back over to the swing. He sighed and lied her down again, trying to figure out whether to keep her secret or tell Jack.

Kate ended up falling asleep. When she woke up again, she thought she was all alone until she saw Jessie sitting on a chair a few feet away. She rubbed her eyes and weakly tried to sit up.

Jessie looked over at her and frowned sympathetically. "Sawyer said to make you rest if you wake up." she told her, walking over to the swing.

Kate glanced around. "Where is Sawyer?" she murmured tiredly.

"He went to get you something to eat…said it was doctor's orders. He left about twenty minutes ago." Jessie shrugged.

Kate nodded slightly. "What time is it?"

"About five." Jessie said, going to sit back down on the chair again.

Kate's eyes widened. About five? How long had she slept?!

Jessie sat down, just shrugging her shoulders.

After a few moments, Sawyer appeared, being followed by a giggling Jayla. He headed over to Kate, handing her a red popsicle.

Kate shook her head and handed it back.

"Oh, no, you don't." Sawyer said, handing it back to her again. "I went through all hell to get that thing."

Kate frowned slightly. She took it from him and opened it then began to eat it. She kept on a grumpy face, not wanting to admit how great it was to taste a popsicle again.

Sawyer smirked and watched her for a moment before walking over to Jessie. "Have a good time starin' at the ocean?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Jessie gave him a funny look and carefully moved his arm. "What took you so long?"

Sawyer frowned when she moved his arm. One minute he thinks she likes him, but then when he starts to like her she pushes him away? Women were so confusing. "Ya don't even wanna know." he muttered, shooting a slight glare at Jayla, who simply giggled in response.

* * *

Starting with the next chapters, things start getting longer.

Reviews, please?


	6. Geschlagen

This chapter is when it starts to get long.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Geschlagen**

**"Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent."**

After awhile, Jack came onto the deck, looking much more rested than he had before. He walked over to the swing and sat down beside Kate, wrapping his arms around her. "Sleep well?" he asked.

Kate snuggled against him and nodded her head. "I feel better too."

Jack smiled. "That's good." he said. He leaned over and gave her a kiss, but pulled away not long after, making a face. "God, Kate, it tastes like you ate a damn cherry tree."

Kate grinned. "Sawyer gave me popsicles." she said. "Cherry popsicles. A lot of them."

"How many did you eat?" Jack asked.

Kate paused, trying to count just how many time she'd sent Sawyer back to get her another popsicle. "I don't remember." she told him after awhile.

"Eight of them in an hour." Sawyer said, looking tired from running back and forth.

Jack chuckled. "Eight of them in an /hour/, Kate?" he asked. "Is that even /possible/?"

Kate smiled and nodded her head, causing him to chuckle again. "They were good." she said with a shrug.

Jack shook his head slightly, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. "They said we could do whatever we wanted here." he told her. "Maybe since you feel better, we should take a swim."

"In the ocean?" Kate asked, making a face.

Jack chuckled. "In the pool, Kate." he told her.

Kate smiled. "Okay." she said, nodding her head slightly. She moved to get up. "I have to get my bathing suit."

Jack nodded his head. "Alright. I'll be down in a minute." he told her. He stood up and gave her a soft kiss. He watched her walk off before he turned to Sawyer. "No problems?" he asked.

Sawyer shook his head, trying to push the secret Kate had told him out of his mind. "She was sick once, then she slept, then she ate popsicles."

* * *

Kate headed to her room, a smile still on her face. She really did feel a lot better now. Maybe what they had given her was wearing off and taking the cold she'd had before it with it. She opened the door then walked into the room and over to her clothes. Beginning to go through them, she began looking for her bathing suit. The door opened and closed behind her. "Jack, I think…" her voice trailed off as she turned and stared at not Jack, but someone else. "Who are you?" she asked, quickly standing.

The man frowned at her. "You just had to tell that we gave you something, didn't you?" he asked, taking a step forward.

Kate took a step back. "What?" she asked, trying to figure out how she could get past him and out the door.

"You just had to tell him about the needle." The man said, shaking his head, moving so he was blocking her way to the door.

"I…I didn't know I wasn't allowed to." Kate tried quietly. She opened her mouth to scream for Jack, but the man was quick and clapped his hand over it, shoving her back against the wall.

"You told and now you have to be punished." The man informed her, glaring at her.

Kate suddenly didn't feel so well again. The color drained from her face and she suddenly began to regret eating all those popsicles. She tried to apologize, but couldn't with his hand over her mouth. Tears began filling her eyes and she could feel herself begin shaking.

"Stop being such a baby." The man told her, yanking her forward then slamming her back against the wall. "You only spent a few days with us and already look how you're acting. That's just pathetic."

Kate's face scrunched up when she hit the wall as she struggled not to cry. She balled her hands into fists, glaring at him. "Leave go of me." she told him.

The man rolled his eyes. "Oh wow…You're going to hit me, Kate? I'm so scared."

Kate raised her fist and punched him in the face, but the next thing she knew she was being shoved to the ground and held there.

"Wrong move, Kate." The man told her. "Wrong move." Ignoring the blood running from his nose, he held her in between his legs to keep her from getting away as he tore her clothes off until she was only in her bra and underwear. "It wouldn't have had to come to this type of punishment." he said. "But with you, it's probably the only kind that will teach you a damn lesson."

Kate squeezed her eyes shut, trembling and trying desperately to squirm away from him. Her arms were trapped by her side, so she couldn't hit him, and she found that she couldn't kick him either.

The man put his hand over her mouth again so she couldn't scream for Jack. He slid his other hand down her body, looking her over.

Kate tried screaming, but she soon began to lose her voice and begin coughing.

The man ignored her and stripped her from the rest of her clothes. After he was done her, he yanked her up then threw her to the floor again. "Get dressed." he spat. "You make me sick."

Kate scrambled to get her clothes back on, her entire body shaking as hard as it possibly could as she sobbed, wondering why Jack wasn't there.

The man waited until she had her bra and underwear back on before yanking her up again. He shoved her into the bathroom and lifted her up, sitting her down hard on the sink. "I just took care of your entire life, Kate." he told her. "After Jack finds out about this, he won't care for you anymore. And then you'll get out of here and he'll let you go to jail where you belong. Then you'll either spend the rest of your life there or you'll get the death penalty and die." He pushed her face up against the mirror, holding it there. "Say you're dirty and Jack won't love you anymore."

Kate managed to shake her head, only to have her face pressed harder against the mirror.

"Say it or we'll repeat this entire thing." The man warned her.

Kate began to say it, though she was so hysterical, it was impossible to make out what she was saying. She wasn't sure how long she repeated it for, but she soon heard the door to the room open.

Jack walked in, a look of horror immediately spreading across his face. He froze for less than a second, then was quickly over at the man, throwing him off Kate. "You get the fuck away from her!" he yelled, slamming his fist into the man's face and then his stomach.

At the commotion, Sawyer headed into their room. He froze for a bit longer than Jack had, trying to figure out what was going on. He was quickly by Jack's side though, throwing punches at the man. "I got 'im." he told Jack. "Get Kate outa here."

Jack let Sawyer to deal with the man. He lifted Kate off the sink and into his arms, despite how hard she fought against as if she didn't even know it was him. He quickly had her in Sawyer's room, putting her down on the bed and trying to get her to calm down. He picked the blanket up off the bed and wrapped it around her, bringing her back into his arms and cradling her as if she were a baby.

Once Kate realized it was Jack who had her, she clung onto him for dear life, still bawling hysterically.

"I've got you, Honey, I've got you." Jack murmured. "He's not going to hurt you again." He held her close to him, slowly rocking her back and forth. He forced himself to stay calm, trying to help calm her down. "Shhh. I'm not going to let go of you."

Kate buried her face in his shoulder, trying to stay as close to him as she possibly could. She didn't look up when Jessie and Jayla came into the room, nor when Sawyer came into the room. "Jack…" she cried quietly, holding onto him, though she was trembling so hard it was hard for him to hold onto her.

Jack ran his hand through her hair, shaking his head slightly. "I'm here." he said, closing his eyes, rocking her back and forth. "I've got you."


	7. Stimmen

**Stimmen**

**"You're just jealous because the voices don't talk to you."**

Three days passed on the boat. Three miserable days. No one seemed to be talking anymore. No one except Jack. He tried to start conversations with people, which usually lasted only about five sentences. Most of the time he spent his time trying to convince Kate to talk to him, which didn't work. She hadn't uttered even a syllable in the past two days. Her time was spent sleeping.

The boat finally hit land and they all escaped without being noticed; in hopes that people had forgotten about them so they could forget about everything themselves.

Jack had called his friend Marc, who had told them that it was fine if they took over his cabin until they found a place to live. He normally only went there at the end of winter, and since it was only the beginning of fall, the place was empty.

The ten hour drive had been long and tiring, but finally, by nightfall, Jack, Kate and Sawyer made it to the one story log cabin. The curtains inside were all drawn closed, and looks like they had been since last winter. The grass outside had a few weeds here and there, and it looked like a few occasional deer had passed by and left some gifts.

Kate was still really sick, even after they had gotten there. The first thing Jack had done was got her comfortable on the couch before doing anything else. After getting the stubborn Kate to stay laying down, Jack set to work in putting their things in different rooms and starting a fire in the fireplace. Only after the fire had died out did he and Sawyer move to different rooms and leave the, now sleeping, Kate alone on the couch for the night.

* * *

"She needs to go to the hospital. It's not going to get any better."

"Oh yeah. Ya think the hospital's gonna help, Doc? The only thing they're gonna do it put her in the damn psych ward."

"Maybe she needs that."

"What the hell is your damn problem?! She doesn't need to be stuck in no damn psych ward!"

Kate listened to them argue silently, knowing that they thought she was still asleep. The hospital really didn't seem like a bad idea at the moment, though she'd risk being sick to the point of near death if the hospital meant she was going to be put in the place for crazy people. There was no way that she was going there. Her eyes shut when she heard them enter the living room and she slowly rolled over, resting her arm over her face.

Jack sat down beside her, moving her arm and running his hand gently over her forehead. "Kate." he said softly, shaking her gently. "Time to get up, Katie."

Kate shook her head, trying to roll over, only to find him sitting her up. She turned and snuggled close to him, trying to fall back to sleep and hoping that Jack wouldn't argue with her any longer.

No such luck.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Nice try, Hun." He helped her to her feet, then gave her her shoes. "Put them on."

Kate looked tiredly down at her shoes. She glared at him then lied back down on the couch, planning on putting up a fight.

Jack narrowed his eyes at her. "Fine." he replied, shrugging. "I don't care." He picked up her shoes and sat down at the other end of the couch, putting them on her himself, despite how much she kept trying to prevent him from putting them on by wiggling her toes. "Come on, Kate. Stop acting like a four year old." He grabbed her arm and pulled her back up onto her feet. "The hospital will make things better. You can't be strong all the time. You're not Superman."

"I could be Superman if I wanted to." Kate mumbled, looking at him angrily.

Sawyer walked into the room, giving her an odd look. Well that was an interesting sentence to walk in on if you hadn't heard the person talk in what seemed like forever. "Good luck with that." he told her, grinning.

Kate pouted, letting Jack drag her out of the house and to the car.

* * *

The fight getting her into the hospital was interesting. It involved a lot of women passersby giggling, men shaking their head, and Jack in a lot of pain. Once he finally got her into the hospital he sat down in the waiting room and wrapped Kate in his arms, not letting her go…though by that time she was pretty much out of strength for struggling.

Jack glanced around at a few people looking at them funny, wondering if they reconized the two of them...or if maybe they recognized Kate. They still had her legal issues to work out, but Jack was willing to pay whatever it took to keep her out of jail. And by the looks of things, she'd be staying in the hospital for awhile anyway. But wasn't what happened on the island enough punishment for her? He leaned his head against hers, staring at the wall while they waited for the doctor.

A few minutes passed even though it had seemed like hours...at least to Jack it had.

"Kate Austen."

Jack glanced up at the nurse called for Kate. He helped her back up onto her feet then also got up, wrapping an arm around her and following the doctor.

"Are you her husband?" The nurse asked, glancing back at them.

Jack shook his head. "I'm her boyfriend." he replied. Wow that sounded funny saying it out loud. It must not have sunk in all the way yet that he was, in fact, her boyfriend.

"Very well." The nurse replied. She stopped to check Kate height, weight, and temperature then led them back into one of the room. "The doctor will be right with you."

"Why can't /you/ be my doctor?" Kate asked, lying down on the bed. She watched him sit down on the chair, waiting for his answer.

Jack sighed. "Because I'm a surgeon, Kate." he replied. "I don't do this kind of stuff."

"But...why?" Kate asked, frowning at him.

Jack looked at her. "I don't know, Kate." he said, beginning to get frustrated.

Kate nodded slightly and looked down, not glancing up when the doctor walked in.

The appointment lasted awhile, Jack describing everything he knew to the doctor. The only thing he'd left out was the needle, because he still had no idea about that. They admitted Kate and Jack stayed until she got settled then went home to, hopefully, get some sleep.

Around two A.M., Jack opened his eyes with a groan. He reached over and answered the phone.

"Dr. Shephard?" A voice on the other end asked.

"Yeah?" Jack replied, stifling a yawn as he sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes.

"This is Dr. Karev. We need you down at the hospital for Miss Austen."

"What is it? Is everything ok?" Jack asked slowly, becoming more awake as Dr. Karev spoke. He pushed the blankets back and slid out of bed.

"Well, physically everything seems fine, but i think that the real problems might be mental. We would really appreciate it if you came down to the hospital." Dr. Karev replied slowly, seeming to choose his words slowly.

Jack ran his hand over his head with a heavy sigh and walked over to his shoes, jamming them on. "I'll be right there." He replied and hung the phone up as he grabbed a shirt and pulled it down over his head. he had been tired when arriving back at the cabin, so he only shed his shirt and shoes before falling asleep. He grabbed his coat then car keys before heading out the door.

* * *

Kate stayed curled tight in her ball in the corner of the hospital room, staring at the light switch as if he would suddenly flip off and leave her in darkness. Her grip around her knees tightened slightly and she suddenly clamper her eyes shut.

_Your fault. Your fault. They'll die. Your fault. They died. Your fault. Your fault._

Voices rang through her head over and over, refusing to let her sleep, or even rest.

"No..."Kate shuddered and shook her head, burying her face in her knees. "Go away. Stop talking to me...GO THE HELL AWAY!" She jerked her head up and opened her eyes, scanning the room desperately until the door finally opened.

Jack hurried inside, then stopped and stared at Kate in shock. "Oh Kate..."He said softly, walking over and sitting down beside her. "It's OK."

Kate watched him, shivering with both fear and a 103 fever. When he sat beside her, she whimpered quietly and crawled up into his lap, clinging to his shirt long after she felt the warmth of his arms around her.

Jack held her silently for awhile, slowly rocking her back and forth. He pulled back quietly, looking at her face. "What happened, Kate?" he asked, his voice gentle and concerned.

Kate had been thinking up a lie while had been holding her. "I had a bad dream…I got scared…I just…" she shook her head. "I just don't feel good."

Jack nodded his head slightly. "I'm here now." he said, carefully turning her around on his lap so she was leaning back against him. "I'm not going anywhere either." He put his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them gently. "Go to sleep, Kate."

Kate nodded slightly. She relaxed back against him, closing her eyes.

* * *

Sorry for not updating in so long. I get frustrated and lazy when it comes to writing then saving then uploading. But, to make up for it, I'll share a song with you that I was messing around with. Try to boost your Jater spirit's a bit. Heh.

So, the song is White Flag by Dido. I just kinda messed with it a bit. It's nice to listen to the song while you're reading the lyrics. Radioblogclub is a good place for that.

We know you think that we shouldn't still love it,  
Or tell you that.  
But if we didn't say it, well we'd still have felt it  
where's the sense in that?

We promise we're not trying to make your show harder  
Or return to where you were

We will go down with this ship  
And we won't put our hands up and surrender  
There will be no white flags above our doors  
Jate is love and always will be

We know there's way too much mess and  
destruction to right soon again  
Skate caused nothing but trouble  
We understand if you can't turn around again  
And if you live by the rules of "it's over"  
We're not sure that that makes sense

We will go down with this ship  
And we won't put our hands up and surrender  
There will be no white flags above our doors  
Jate is love and always will be

And when they meet  
Which we're sure they will  
All that was there  
Will be there still  
Won't let it pass  
Or hold my tongues  
So don't you think  
That we've moved on...

We will go down with this ship  
And we won't put our hands up and surrender  
There will be no white flags above our doors  
Jate is love and always will be

We will go down with this ship  
And we won't put our hands up and surrender  
There will be no white flags above our doors  
Jate is love and always will be

We will go down with this ship  
And we won't put our hands up and surrender  
There will be no white flags above our doors  
Jate is love and always will be


	8. Haus

**Chapter 8**

**Haus**

"**Home is not where you live, but where they understand you."**

About two weeks had passed. Jack's visits had gotten fewer and shorter up until he had gone the last three days without visiting. He had tried to tell Kate that he was fixing things that needed to be fixed and also trying to work out her legal problems. When he stopped coming though, Kate wasn't so sure. Her physical health began to come back while everything else spiraled downward. All she was allowed to do was sit in bed. She tried to eat and pretended to listen to a therapist talk to her.

It was 4:23 P.M. Friday afternoon when there was a knock on the hospital door. Not in the mood for company, Kate glanced at the door then rolled over onto her side so her back was facing it. Hugging the blankets tightly around her, she stared silently at the floor, listening as the door opened with a soft squeak and a set of footsteps came closer and closer to her. When instead of taking the chair across the room and instead taking a seat on the side of her bed, she was sure it was Jack. She rolled over and her face fell a bit when instead she saw Sawyer.

"Well, gee, Freckles. Don't look so happy to see me." Sawyer rolled his eyes, looking down at her. "Feelin' alright?"

Kate shrugged her shoulders. "Where's Jack?" she asked, her voice quiet, as she tried to look around him and over toward the doorway to see if he was coming.

"Sorry, Freckles. He's at home sleepin'." Sawyer said. "Been workin' hard on things lately. But don't worry. I brought ya something better than Jack-O."

Kate looked at him. She raised her eyebrows curiously, but stayed silent, relaxing back against her pillow. Nothing could be better than Jack.

"Okay. Okay. So it ain't as good as Jackass, but humor me and pretend you like it." Sawyer told her, frowning at her lack of enthusiasm. Maybe she was just tired. He hated seeing her all quiet and not smiling. He handed her a plastic bag he had been holding. "Woulda kept it in the box," he said. "but that just woulda gave away what's inside."

"You didn't have to get me anything." Kate slowly took the back from him, feeling immediately that whatever was inside was very soft. She untied it, pulling the first thing out. She arched her eyebrows when she realized it was a blanket. She spread it out over her bed, grinning smally. "Haha. Very funny." she said, motioning to the large red and yellow superman sign in the middle of soft blue blanket. Gathering some of it in her arms, she held it up to her cheek, closing her eyes. It was so much fuzzier and warmer than the hospital blankets. "Mm. Thank you." she mumbled.

Sawyer chuckled, watching her, glad that she liked it. He would have thought she had just been humoring him if she hadn't given an actual smile. "That ain't all." he said. "Two more things."

Kate slowly opened her eyes. There was more? She put her armful of blanket back down, moving the entire thing so it was still covering her. She reached in the bag. The next thing was soft too. Her first thought was another blanket, but then she realized this was too soft and furry. She pulled it out and just stared at it. It was a bear made from Build-A-Bear. But it wasn't just any bear. It was a polar bear. It was dressed in a green shirt, khaki pants, and brown shoes with a backpack on it's back. She stared at it sadly.

Sawyer watched her. This was the gift he had been sure he would have gotten a smile out of. "Humor me." he reminded her.

Kate quickly tore her eyes away from the bear and looked over at him. "Sawyer, I love it." she said quietly, scooting closer to him and wrapping her arms around him.

Sawyer smiled slightly and hugged her back. He immediately noticed how thing she was, but held his tongue and decided he wasn't going to make a smart eating comment about it. "One more thing." he said, letting her let go of him then letting go of her.

Kate reached in the bag, frowning slightly. "There's nothing else in here." she said, slightly confused.

Sawyer chuckled. "Couldn't bring it to you." he said. "So I figured I'd bring you to it. Ready to go home, Kate?"

Kate stared at him. Home? Home as in out of the hospital? Home in with Jack? As in a house? "Are you serious?" she asked, tears filling her eyes when he nodded. Quickly, she folded her blanket back up then put that and her bear back in the bag. A bit shakily, she grabbed onto his shoulder and used him to help her stand.

Sawyer smiled at her sudden eagerness. "Let's go then."

* * *

Kate quickly got out of the car, her bag of stuff held tightly in her hand. It was so nice to be outside. And this place was beautiful. A single cabin out here in the woods in the middle of nowhere. She twirled around once, though quickly decided not to do it again since it gave her a dizzy feeling. Rushing into the house, she dropped her stuff on the couch and looked around, quickly trying to figure out where Jack was.

Trying one door, she found the bathroom. Another she found a closet. The third door finally led to the bedroom where Jack was fast asleep. She stood in the doorway and watched him, debating on whether she should let him sleep or not. Sighing softly, she decided to let him go. Heading back out to the living room, she nearly ran right over Sawyer.

Sawyer watched her in amusement. "Where's Jack?" he asked.

"Sleeping." Kate replied, looking around in excitement. "Ooh! I'm going outside to explore!"

Sawyer watched her hesitantly, frowning a bit. "Doctor said to make you rest." he told her. He sighed, not wanting to just completely prevent her from going outside. "Go get the mail from the mailbox at the end of the driveway." he told her. He shrugged. "Walk slow if you want."

Kate headed outside, shutting the door behind her. She stood there for a moment, just taking in deep breaths of the fresh, cool air. Once she remembered Sawyer had told her to check the mail, she headed slowly down to the mailbox. She opened it and pulled out a few letters. Shivering, she began looking over the envelopes as she headed back towards the house.

Out of nowhere, someone suddenly came running and jumped her. She hit the ground with a painful thud, the letters scattering as the wind blew them. Not sure what was happening, she began struggling, trying to fight against the person who was holding her down. She managed to get her head turned enough to see that it was a man, maybe a few years older than her. Her hands were grabbed and forced painfully behind her back. "Jack!" she yelled at the window, trying to get his attention. "Jack!"

The form of Jack appeared in the window. He noticed what was happening and quickly rushed outside. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" he yelled, shoving the man off of her.

The man stood up. "I'm getting my rewards money, that's what I'm doing. And don't even think to defend her. I'll just call the cops right here."

"Go watch the news, you greedy bastard." Jack replied, reaching in his pocket and pulling out a letter. He unfolded it and shoved it in the man's hands. "You see that? I got it this morning. It states that she's sick and that they're not doing anything about anything until she's fully well again. That is permission for her to be here. Now tell me where the hell you got permission to come here?!"

The man stared at the paper, his eyes a bit wide. "Look…Man…I'm sorry." he said, quickly giving the paper back to Jack. Turning, he took off.

He turned and looked around. "Damn it. My mail." he said, racing off to try and get it, neglecting the one thing he should have been paying attention to.

Painfully and slowly, Kate pushed herself up onto her feet. Tearfully, she headed back inside, curling up on the couch with her blanket and bear, her head hurting where it had hit the ground. Her tears weren't hardly even from the fact that she was now in pain though. They were from the fact that she was beginning to think that Jack didn't even want her anymore. Glancing up as he came in, she watched him slam the letters down on the table. Sniffling as she watched him walk into the living room and just about to pass her, she decided she'd give it one last try. "My head hurts." she whispered. "I don't feel well."

"You just got home from the hospital. Don't you think if you felt better, you would have already been home?!" Jack asked, his voice hard. "If ya don't feel well and your head hurts, then shut up and lay the hell down!" He raised his hand in the air.

Kate closed her eyes, shrinking down into the couch, holding her breath.


	9. Teaser

**TEASER TYPE CHAPT**

Jack cursed himself, running his hand over his hair. "Kate," he said, closing his eyes. He cursed himself again, suddenly feeling like the scum of the earth. The stress of the last few weeks had just been exploded on the person who deserved it the least. And now she was crying. "Kate, I'm so sorry," he tried, though he knew it wasn't good enough. He knelt down beside the couch, reaching over and running his hand up and down her arm. She didn't pull away. That was good. "Honey, did he hurt you?"

Kate shook her head. She sunk further down into the couch, suddenly wishing she was back at the hospital again. "I'm…gonna be s-sick…" She crossed her arms, clutching the things Sawyer had gotten her tightly.

Shaking his head, Jack crawled up onto the couch beside her. "No, you're not," he said. He sat her up slightly, pulling her against him as he fixed her pillow for her. "Just relax and you'll feel better. Want me to lay down with you?"

Kate shifted slightly, shaking her head.

Jack felt slightly hurt, but he knew he deserved it. "Alright." He helped her lie back down against the pillows before standing back up. "I'll just be over there if you need me." He pointed over to the chair.

Kate gave a quick glance toward where he was pointing then looked away. She slowly pulled her new blanket out of the bag and covered up with it. She picked up her stuffed animal then dropped the plastic bag on the floor. Now warm and comfortable, she closed her eyes. Home had seemed like it would be so good. But now she was doubting whether it was where she wanted to be or not.

Jack watched her silently from his spot on the chair. "I was going to come pick you up, Kate," he told her, unsure of whether she was falling asleep or not. "As soon as I got up, I was." He sighed. "Sawyer really wanted to. He beat me to it."

Sniffling, Kate rolled over onto her side slightly. "You haven't even come to see me," she whispered, hurt. "Not for a long time."

Sighing, he ran his hand over his hair again. "I was fixing up the house," he said. "And trying to keep you out of jail. And a bunch of things having to do with oceanic and all that stuff. Kate, I'm sorry. I really am."

Kate stared at him then turned her back to him, curling up against the back of the couch. She was too tired to figure out whether or not to forgive him right now. She sniffled again then buried her face in her pillow.

Staring at her, Jack debated on whether or not to get up. He finally stood, making his way back over to the couch. He lied down beside her, wrapping his arms around her. "How about this?" he tried. "Forgive me now. But if I mess up again, you never have to forgive me. Okay?"

Kate paused. She nodded slightly then rolled over, snuggling close to him.


End file.
